Post a good thing that happened in your life today

[Mr Standfast]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

 

Good that you are driving again.

 

Beep Beep You sound like the road runner.

 

Allan

 

Chuckle😄 Road runner works but I was thinking of Mr Toad!

[Bryan]

Congrats on your return to driving Mr S. !

 

Today's good thing. I completed the reconstruction of the damaged allotment nesting box. In retrospect it would have been easier to have started afresh as the parts were warped and damaged, but, other than for a new backplate, the original bits were used. I just need to get it painted and re-installed.  I enjoy woodwork, I'm no Chippendale, more a bodger, but  it's great to see a product come together. I have thought of buying a wood lathe, but that's not going to happen, however I may just make another bird box.

 

 

[Ed Rooney]

 

I was thinking of making a Queen Ann desk. Thank heavens that thought quickly passed. I might have needed a tool of some sort. 

[sb photos]

Am on a park and ride bus heading into Oxford city centre for some photography. The rain doesn’t bother me, I’m well prepared. Then later some shopping and finally hoping for a pub lunch. 

[Allan Bell]

At present building a display cabinet with glass sliding doors to hang on a wall.

 

Allan

 

[Rebecca Ore]

Got a new phone, new internet connection package (TV and possibly land line telephone included), and a new TV.   My iPad started to refuse to charge easily and finally really refused to charge, so I wiped it and handed it to Luis to see if he could find any one in town who repaired broken charger connections on iPads.  Otherwise, he can sell it for parts.  I find I'm sleeping better without an internet connection in the bedroom, so yeah.

 

Speeds on the new line have been in the low 90Mbps range, though the iPad measured over 100 Mbps once.  5 GHz.   2.4 GHz is rather crowded locally, so nice to have the option of 5 GHz.   A bit of Googling shows that I may have reached the speed limit of my modem-to-computer's ethernet cables.  Sort of odd to have the wifi faster than the ethernet.   The laptop doesn't believe in 5 GHz wifi, apparently, as I can't see it in the available connections.  

 

Claro and Tigo are the two providers competing with each other.  Had Claro contractor in yesterday to sort problems with my Claro issued remote.   The Samsung remote that came with the TV didn't believe in cable over ethernet to an HDMI (which is Claro's new system for delivering digital t.v., but the TV set itself does accept the feed.  Four buttons on the Claro remote don't work, but two don't work because I haven't paid for or set up those services, and two just don't work (sleep and sources).   Not going to push that again.   The Samsung remote would have worked if the connection had been coaxial cable, but it wasn't. 

 

The tech yesterday showed me that I had to turn on the cable box first, then the TV.  So far so good. 

 

 

[Bryan]

We finally succumbed to peer pressure and warped out some exterior Xmas lights - all the neighbours have them.

 

I had to look up the manual for our IKEA timer switch. It's counter intuitive, you have to lift myriads of little plastic switches in order to specify the off period which greatly exceeds the time when we want the the lights on.

 

The Mrs has dug out and hung our long serving Xmas wreath on the front door, but it's all external show, nothing in the house. Our ancient plastic Christmas tree remains in the loft.

[Betty LaRue]

I finished my Christmas shopping today. Proud that I only ordered one thing from Amazon. All of the rest, I beat my feet. I do have to say though, that online ordering is great for the people who have physical problems making going to shops very hard or impossible. 2 years ago, I couldn’t have done it. Growing up, my parents sometimes ordered things from the Sears or Montgomery Ward catalogs.

 

I remember living poor at the farm for 18 months, where I turned 8, the old catalogs got used in the outhouse. 😆

Edited December 11, 2023 by Betty LaRue

[Mr Standfast]

Contributor survey results published. Clearly Alamy understand forum contributors...

 

"we can probably say that Alamy contributors have well over tens of thousands of years of experience combined in being a photographer (to put it in context, that’s equivalent to a photographer practicing their trade since the Ice Age!"

 

👵🧓👴!!

 

🙂😉

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

33 minute brain scan today;

lying perfectly still, swallowed only 4 times;

my 1977 Transcendental Meditation mantra helped me ignore itch on left cheek, face that is;

want to believe scan was sharpest image in hospital history;

will find out in couple weeks if I have one, brain that is...

 🤪_ 🤪_ 🤪_ 🤪_ 🤪

[gvallee]

Yay! I have at last entered the 21st century! I went on an e-bike today. Pedalled about 20km on hilly roads. So brilliant!

 

It was a fabulous day trip on a small island. I didn't expect anything in particular, just a nice day outdoors. The island was spectacular with turquoise water and stunning coastline. We saw quokkas, fur seals, a nesting colony of fairy terns.

 

To add a bit of excitement, the very first beach we stopped at in the morning (and had icecreams) had a shark alert. A spotting helicopter hovering above had its alarm siren blaring, everyone out of the water. There were several fishing boats raising crayfish pots, an activity which attracts sharks. It was all a relaxed affair in the sun, the lifeguard's board statement of 'joke of the day, ask the lifeguard' was merely replaced with 'shark sighting, beach closed for an hour'. So Aussie!

 

The return journey was very bumpy in the catamaran ferry, the afternoon wind whipped up impressive waves which we rode in parallel. No-one took much notice, the bar was open and beer was flowing. It did remind me of a Seacat (catamaran) crossing between France and the UK at night. The sea was diabolical. The first dip was very impressive and sudden. Everyone shouted Yayyyy! Second dip was an unsure Yay? Third dip, sick bags were out. All later crossings were cancelled. 

 

Anyway, this island today was another stunning feather in Australia's cap. Rottnest Island, off Perth, Western Australia. Images to follow in the next few days.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2023 by gvallee

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

I went on an e-bike today.

We tried one in NZ but it was slightly alarming.  The alarm was reinforced by finding out that it would have been illegal to use on the roads in the UK.!

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, spacecadet said:

We tried one in NZ but it was slightly alarming.  The alarm was reinforced by finding out that it would have been illegal to use on the roads in the UK.!

Mark I presume that you know that all Ebikes are not illegal for use on UK roads. From memory the approved types require the user to pedal before the assistance cuts in and the electric power has to cut out at above 15 mph or thereabouts.

 

I don't have one, but never say never !  You can buy a nifty retrofit powered wheel and a battery pack that hangs off the handlebars, versions available for most bikes, and all perfectly legal.

[Betty LaRue]

My sister is having serious surgery this coming Monday. She lives a bit more than an hour’s drive south from me across the border into Oklahoma, then has to go another hundred miles south to the hospital & through city traffic. I’m taking her, she has very little support system with her 3 sons who work. I plan on training myself by getting up at 5 am on Sunday, so I can go to bed by 8pm, so getting up at dark thirty on Monday morning won’t leave me sleep deprived for the 3 hour trip back home from Oklahoma City late in the day. I have to have her at the hospital by 9, so about 170 mile trip one way, but with a stopover to pick her up.

At least sis will have one family member there to see her when she gets out of surgery.

It will be dark when I leave & I’ll have to watch for rutting deer crossing the road. It’s a dangerous time to drive after dark. My grandson hit a deer 2 weeks after getting his brand new pickup & it messed up all the electronics. It’s in the shop right now.

[Bryan]

Best of luck with your long drive Betty. Hopefully the weather will be kind. Fingers crossed that your sister's op is a success.

 

 

[StokeCreative]

Not wanting to jinx it,  but we sold our house today (STC) after 10 days on the market, and 27 years here in 'Sunny' Stoke.

Hopefully moving in the New Year "oop North" to Northumberland. So much stuff to throw away as we are both hoarders!

 

Example of hoarding.....

 

Apple eMate 300 translucent green plastic laptop PDA for education market produced in 1997

 

[spacecadet]

15 hours ago, Bryan said:

Mark I presume that you know that all Ebikes are not illegal for use on UK roads. From memory the approved types require the user to pedal before the assistance cuts in and the electric power has to cut out at above 15 mph or thereabouts.

 

I don't have one, but never say never !  You can buy a nifty retrofit powered wheel and a battery pack that hangs off the handlebars, versions available for most bikes, and all perfectly legal.

I was referring specifically to the type rented to us in Blenheim. It didn't behave like that and was rather fierce in operation.

We are currently installing a Swytch wheel on OH's 1979 Raleigh. It required a fork modification, so if you are considering it watch out for that. Swytch will contribute, but I think it's a pretty expensive option. I haven't looked at the price as it was a gift.

Edited December 15, 2023 by spacecadet

[NYCat]

9 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

My sister is having serious surgery this coming Monday. She lives a bit more than an hour’s drive south from me across the border into Oklahoma, then has to go another hundred miles south to the hospital & through city traffic. I’m taking her, she has very little support system with her 3 sons who work. I plan on training myself by getting up at 5 am on Sunday, so I can go to bed by 8pm, so getting up at dark thirty on Monday morning won’t leave me sleep deprived for the 3 hour trip back home from Oklahoma City late in the day. I have to have her at the hospital by 9, so about 170 mile trip one way, but with a stopover to pick her up.

At least sis will have one family member there to see her when she gets out of surgery.

It will be dark when I leave & I’ll have to watch for rutting deer crossing the road. It’s a dangerous time to drive after dark. My grandson hit a deer 2 weeks after getting his brand new pickup & it messed up all the electronics. It’s in the shop right now.

 

Best of luck to you and your sister, Betty.

 

Paulette

[Allan Bell]

14 hours ago, Betty LaRue said:

My sister is having serious surgery this coming Monday. She lives a bit more than an hour’s drive south from me across the border into Oklahoma, then has to go another hundred miles south to the hospital & through city traffic. I’m taking her, she has very little support system with her 3 sons who work. I plan on training myself by getting up at 5 am on Sunday, so I can go to bed by 8pm, so getting up at dark thirty on Monday morning won’t leave me sleep deprived for the 3 hour trip back home from Oklahoma City late in the day. I have to have her at the hospital by 9, so about 170 mile trip one way, but with a stopover to pick her up.

At least sis will have one family member there to see her when she gets out of surgery.

It will be dark when I leave & I’ll have to watch for rutting deer crossing the road. It’s a dangerous time to drive after dark. My grandson hit a deer 2 weeks after getting his brand new pickup & it messed up all the electronics. It’s in the shop right now.

 

Take care and keep safe.

 

Allan

 

[Bryan]

18 hours ago, StokeCreative said:

Not wanting to jinx it,  but we sold our house today (STC) after 10 days on the market, and 27 years here in 'Sunny' Stoke.

Hopefully moving in the New Year "oop North" to Northumberland. So much stuff to throw away as we are both hoarders!

 

Example of hoarding.....

 

Apple eMate 300 translucent green plastic laptop PDA for education market produced in 1997

 

 

Congrats on your speedy sale and welcome to the frozen North. Having said that the car's thermometer measured an amazing December external temperature of 12 deg C coming home tonight,  

 

That hoarded Apple thing might be worth a few bob, Hours wasted watching antiques based shows on TV have shown that old IT gear is collected, but I guess it's old games machines that do best. 

[spacecadet]

8 hours ago, Bryan said:

Congrats on your speedy sale and welcome to the frozen North. Having said that the car's thermometer measured an amazing December external temperature of 12 deg C coming home tonight,  

 

That hoarded Apple thing might be worth a few bob, Hours wasted watching antiques based shows on TV have shown that old IT gear is collected, but I guess it's old games machines that do best. 

I've just sold the ZX81 and Spectrum, about £40 each on ebay. Even got £37 for the old programs on cassette and £12.50 for the duff ZX printer, but I think they bought that for the thermal paper.

Those eMates seem to go for a couple of hundred notes but mostly in the US.

Edited December 16, 2023 by spacecadet

[sb photos]

11 minutes ago, spacecadet said:

I've just sold the ZX81 and Spectrum, about £40 each on ebay. Even got £37 for the old programs on cassette and £12.50 for the duff ZX printer, but I think they bought that for the thermal paper.

Those eMates seem to go for a couple of hundred notes but mostly in the US.

 

You've done well there. Most people would have thrown them out or boot sale'd them long ago. Around the time the Sinclair computers were current I was working for an MOD contractor in their engineering dept. I was utilising 8080 micro's in SBC PCB's, but the departments computer was still an old PDP11. Our plotter was a massive Benson wall mounted plotter that beeped as it ran. Later Mostek and Motorola development systems, with twin 8" floppy drive boxes and Hazeltine green screen terminals were everywhere later. Personally I waited until a home computer was available that could run a word processor and database, the Amstrad CPC 6128, and added an external 5.25" floppy drive. As the 6128 by default only supported single sided drive I added a switch the the 5.25" drive box to toggle the side select line so I could write to both of the floppies surfaces. How things have changed. All my old kit was dumped when upgraded.

[spacecadet]

19 minutes ago, sb photos said:

 

You've done well there. Most people would have thrown them out or boot sale'd them long ago. Around the time the Sinclair computers were current I was working for an MOD contractor in their engineering dept. I was utilising 8080 micro's in SBC PCB's, but the departments computer was still an old PDP11. Our plotter was a massive Benson wall mounted plotter that beeped as it ran. Later Mostek and Motorola development systems, with twin 8" floppy drive boxes and Hazeltine green screen terminals were everywhere later. Personally I waited until a home computer was available that could run a word processor and database, the Amstrad CPC 6128, and added an external 5.25" floppy drive. As the 6128 by default only supported single sided drive I added a switch the the 5.25" drive box to toggle the side select line so I could write to both of the floppies surfaces. How things have changed. All my old kit was dumped when upgraded.

A first release Spectrum in box is worth a few hundred. We kept the Amstrad just in case we needed to read a 5.25 (we never did) until the drive failed, then it went the way of all flesh.

But the later tower PCs went on Freecycle, in one piece. I still have my last PC but two, a Dell on XP I got from OH's work surplus in 2005 or so for about £50. 6GB HDD IIRC and a 3.5 drive, which would be handy if I had any left- that would be about one and a half jpegs from my first digizoom in 2004. Before that I was on Win 98SE but the machine had to be cattle prodded to recognise USB. Seems like a long time ago.

Edited December 16, 2023 by spacecadet

[Ed Rooney]

On 15/12/2023 at 02:46, Betty LaRue said:

My grandson hit a deer 2 weeks after getting his brand new pickup & it messed up all the electronics. It’s in the shop right now.

 

Yes, a dangerous drive, Miss B. Please be extra careful.

[zxzoomy]

With condensation a real problem in Manchester, UK, a friend lent me his spare dehumidifier. Much appreciated.